The removal of clots by use of minimally invasive procedures is nowadays a well-established practice. Many patents are known in the field of clot removal and several devices are presently available on the market. The purpose of such devices is to retrieve blood clots without or with only minimal distal embolization or clot fragmentation.
Out of the methods available to remove clots by minimally invasive operation, a common method is the removal of the clot by aspiration. One problem with the aspiration devices is the need for a large lumen to create a sufficient aspiration force for the suction of a thrombus. Another problem is the need of a rigid material to form the tip of the aspiration catheter to withstand strong vacuum forces without collapsing the lumen. To overcome such structural requirements, a relatively sturdy device of rather hefty construction and quite large dimensions is required, which large dimensions prevent aspiration catheters from reaching clots located in narrow vessels such as found in the brain.
Means for retrieving obstructions from a blood vessel are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,766,921 to I. Sepetka et al., reciting means that are deployed in a collapsed condition and are then expanded within the body.
A study of the presently available means for removing obstructions from a blood vessel, referred to hereinbelow as the study, may be found in “Endovascular Stroke Treatment Today”, by I. Q. Grunwald et al. in AJNR, the American Journal of Neuroradiology, Vol. 32, pp. 238-243 of February 2011, www.ajnr.org. The purpose of the study was to review current treatment options in acute ischemic stroke, focusing on the latest advances in the field and devices of mechanical recanalization. These mechanical recanalization devices recently made available for endovascular intracranial thrombectomy show great potential in acute stroke treatments.